Pack.

I stood up quickly and pulled out my phone in a panic.

"Dad? You know her?" Elise asked me in a panicked voice.

"Y-yeah! She's been working at Smith's for over a year. That's where I got all my groceries." I held up a finger as I called James.

He answered the phone. "What's u-"

"Portal to me! I need to get back to Utah and I don't have enough mana left!"

"Uh… okay? Where are you?"

"Georgia. 7186 Gunner drive."

A few seconds later I heard a knock on the door. I looked over at Elise and hungered her quickly.

"I love you, cookie, but I have to take care of this."

She patted my back. "Sure, dad. Just don't take so long to visit next time."

"Sure thing." I turned around and opened the door.

"Hey, Birger." James said.

"Sorry for the short notice. A friend of mine got attacked by a rogue wolf."

"Damn." He grimaced. "Okay, Utah, right?"

"Yeah. Salt Lake City's Hospital."

He opened a portal and I thanked him before stepping through. I ran inside to the front desk and asked where the receptionist where Donna's room was.

"Are you family, sir?" She asked me in confusion.

"No, bu-"

"Then I'm afraid I can't allow you in."

I clenched my jaw tightly before walking past her, deeper into the hospital. I pulled out my phone again and dialed Isaiah's phone. It rang before it went to voicemail.

"Dammit."

He was probably already informed about Donna's situation. I'm sure they had… they had to have wolves guarding her!

With that thought I ran through the hospital until I could smell them. People were staring at me and I heard someone shout at me from where I came from. The receptionist probably called security. I turned the corner, running up the stairs and followed the scent until I saw a werewolf standing outside of a room number on the second floor. He recognized me and bowed his head to me.

"Birger."

"Hey, Kyle. I need to see her. She's a friend."

He nodded and moved to the side to let me in. I heard someone yelling outside before Kyle told them to fuck off.

"Red?" Donna asked me with wide eyes.

She was wrapped in bandages. They covered both her arms and her left leg. She tilted her head in confusion before wincing. I saw the bandage on her neck.

"Hey, Donna." I smiled awkwardly.

"What are you doing here?"

"Uh… okay. Sorry for this, but I'm gonna give it to you straight, okay?"

She nodded.

"I'm not human. I know some people who can help you with your change. My little brother is the Alpha king."

Her eyes glazed over for a moment before she smiled. "I fucking knew it! I knew you were a sup!"

"Language!" I reprimanded her out of habit.

"Fuck that! I was right!" She laughed. "I fucking knew it!"

I grimaced. "Enough. You were right."

Her laughter died down in a fit of coughs. I stood up and reached for the glass of water that she had on a table that was nearby. I handed it to her and she took a few sips before looking up at me.

"Woah… your eye is glowing!" She exclaimed.

"Yeah, it does that." I replied in a grumpy voice.

"What's it do?"

"Uh… it does a lot." I said uncomfortably.

She still pressed on, despite my discomfort. "Come on, red. I almost died and you can't tell me what your eye does?"

I shook my head and grinned as I held my hands up in defeat. "Okay, okay. You win. I can see people's names and their age. Kind of like a username in video games. I can tighten my pupil to 'zoom in' kind of like a telescope, if I focus, and I can… well, I can 'see' truth."

"Uh-huh… what do you mean 'see truth?'"

I hummed in thought for a moment. "If I want, I can see if someone is lying to me. It's more like an instinct. I can tell if someone is human or a sup, I can tell if they're lying, even if they think they're telling the truth."

"Woah… that's a major game changer!"

I nodded and stared at her. "Yeah. Now quit trying to change the subject."

She froze and the smile slowly disappeared from her face. "…Am I really a werewolf now? No do-overs? I just get fucking mauled, then- bam- your life is changed forever?"

This happened more than you think. You get attacked, barely survive with your life, then you become the very thing that attacked you. It happened with Vlad, too.

"Yeah." I said softly.

"Damn."

"Yeah."

She looked up at me. "I won't cry over something that can't be changed."

"Good girl."

She sniffled. "So? Am I gonna be meeting this Alpha King? And you said he was your brother?"

I nodded. "Brother-in-law. I was married to his older sister, Ashina, around two hundred and fifty years ago. She was my fated mate."

"So you really are an old man!" She chuckled lightly. "What's a fated mate?"

"It's a wolf's soul mate. Their other half."

"That's real?! How do I know if it's him?!"

I huffed a laugh. "Yeah, it's real. You will be able to tell, trust me."

"But HOW?"

"Hmm. For a lot of wolves it's by a distinct scent. Ashina told me I smelled like steel and cherries."

"…steel… and cherries?"

I glowered at her. "What's wrong with that? I like cherries. And steel is a 'cool' addition. It makes me feel like a badass!"

She snorted. "Whatever floats your boat, gramps. So will I be meeting your brother, or not?"

"Yeah. He'll do you good. I trust him with my life."

"Is he like… some kind of mini-you?"

Just then, Isaiah stepped through the door. "More like he's the small one." He said.

I stood at six foot flat but Isaiah was a good six foot seven. He was also way bulkier than me. I was fairly lean while Isaiah had toned muscles that rippled underneath his shirt.

"Damn!" She leaned over and whispered to me. "He's fucking hot!"

"Ew! Stop! That's my brother! And he's married!"

She paused for a moment. "Can he read my mind?"

"…no?"

"Then I'll just fantasize about him. Vividly."

I made a gagging sound as Isaiah spoke up. "Please don't."

Her eyebrows rose. "You heard me?"

"Unfortunately." He turned to me. "So, Birger? You know Donna? Kyle mind-linked me to let me know you were here."

"Yeah. She worked at the grocery store I frequented. She's like a little sister to me."

Donna looked between us before looking at me. "Well then, 'big bro', what's gonna happen now?"

"Well-" I got cut off when the door opened and a woman walked in.

"Donna! Are you okay, baby?"

Donna sighed. "Hey, momma. I'm fine."

She turned to look at me and nodded. "Birger."

She then turned to Isaiah and glared at him. "You better get your fuckin' wolves under control, ya fuckin' dickhead!"

Ah… so that's where she gets her foul mouth from.

Isaiah grimaced and I saw a cold sweat appear on his forehead. "Y-yes ma'am. I'm already on it."

Yeah, mothers are terrifying creatures.

I tapped her shoulder lightly. "Mrs. Foreman? We were actually talking about having Donna come to the pack house." I held up my hand when she opened her mouth. "No, not the dark-shadow pack. The Alpha Kings pack house."

She huffed a breath. "Why, where, when."

I scrunched my eyebrows. "Uh… being a werewolf will change her. It comes with new powers, new needs, new feelings, and much more. She needs someone to teach and guide her. Who better than the Alpha King, himself? The pack house is in Canada. About thirty miles north of Toronto. As for when…" I looked at Isaiah and he nodded at me. "At least two days before the next full moon. It should give you about two weeks."

She froze and thought for a long moment. I could see her eyebrows twitching as she thought. Her grey eyes narrowed and her jaw clenched.

"I will be able to see her?"

I took hold of her hand gently. "She will not be a prisoner. She will be loved and cared for. She has always been like a little sister to me. You can visit her anytime you want. And she can visit you, as well."

I paused before continuing. "But after the first full moon… she will need to adjust. The first change is… painful. And after that, her senses will increase, along with a lot of other changes." I turned my gaze to Donna. "But she will have good people around her. People that I trust… more than myself."

Donna's mother nodded and stared into my eyes. She glanced between my left and right eye before settling on my left eye. The one that was red.

"She talked about you a lot. You were the highlight of her day. From what I heard from her… you seem like a good man. And from what I saw from… the funeral, you seem like a man whose love knows no bounds."

I ground my teeth together and kept myself from crying. She said it with such a sincere and pure voice.

"Even now… your eyes are filled with pain…" she grabbed my head and hugged it against her chest. "You poor boy. I will entrust my daughter with you."

I nodded against her chest and bit my lip. Humans, no matter their age, always had such a beautiful way of demonstrating and vocalizing their words and thoughts. I suddenly chuckled.

"What are you laughing at, mister?" She pushed my head back and held my cheeks.

I cleared my throat before speaking. "I never had a mother or a father… but if I did, I felt like it would be someone like you, Mrs. Foreman."

"Wow… quite the smooth talker, eh?" She chuckled and turned to Isaiah. "You take care of your wolves. And my daughter."

Isaiah nodded. "With my life. Pack is family. She will be welcomed as a sister, and her brothers and sisters will grow and mentor her. Don't worry."

She nodded. "Good." She turned to Donna. "Be safe. Eat well."

Donna eyes bulged out. "Momma?!"

"What? It's not like you come visit me anymore, anyway!" She huffed. "Go learn before you change! And find a man, already! Are you trying to give me a heart attack before I see my grandchildren?"

Donna blushed. "Sh-shut up! I'll find one when I find one!"

Mrs. Foreman laughed and waved behind her back as she left the room. Isaiah and I let out a breath we didn't realize we'd been holding and turned to each other before laughing.

"She was scary!" Isaiah said.

"Damn right!" I replied.

I heard Donna mock me under her breath. "Language~"

"Brat."

"Grandpa!"

"Ugly."

"Dumbass!"

I opened my mouth but before I could speak she mocked me again. "Language!"

Isaiah laughed so hard that tears came to his eyes.

"Oh, moon goddess, Birger! If anyone is a mini-you, it's her!"

""Fuck off!"" We both shouted at him at the same time before we turned to each other and smiled.